Bominictts josephus pennock



STA'Illil PATENT OFFICE.

DOMINICUS JOSEEHUS PENN OOK, OF ZEVENBERGEN, NETHERLANDS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND DRYING VEGETAIBLES.

To all whom iz? may concern.'

Be it known that I, DoMINrGUs JosErHUs PnNNocx, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at Zevenbergen, the- Netherlands, have invented fertain new and useful Improvements il tpparatus for Treating and Drying Vegetables, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to apparatus for treating and drying vegetables in which the vegetables, reduced to small particles, or otherwise,..a-re subjected 4in a closed recep taclc to the action of steam having apressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure.

The accompanying drawing represents a perspective view, partly in cross-section, of an embodiment of the present invention.

The apparatus comprises a casing 1 in which a conveyor band 2 is mounted on two drums 3, l. The band 2 may conveniently be made of metallic gauze, wire netting, perforated metal plates or the like. The drum 4 is mounted on a shaft 5 which passes through a stuffing-box in the rear wall of ,the casing 1, said shaft 5 carries a pulley 6 by means of which it may be driven with a suitable speed in such a manner that the conveyor band 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow a. Intermediate guide 'rollers 7 and 8 serve the purpose of supporting the top part of the band 2 to prevent sagging thereof.

The top wall 9 of the casing 1 contains a plurality of steam nozzles 10 in connection with a pipe 11 through which steam having a pressure of say two to three atmospheres may be admitted into the casing 1. Secured vertically below the nozzles 10 are cupshaped baille-plates 12 for preventing the steam jets from blowing directly on the band 2, and permitting the steam to flow over their edges substantially parallel with the said band.

Near the bottom of the casing 1 there is a scraper 13 whose cutting edge is arranged in the immediate proximity of the conveyor band 2 at the under side of the drum 4.

A steam trap 14 of any suitable construction is mounted in the bottom of casing 1.

At. the left hand side the top wall of the casing 1 has a. comparatively narrow opening 15 extending the whole width of the casing. and tightly secured on the edges of said opening there is a feed hopper comprising a cylindrical portion 16 and a funnelshaped portion 17. Rotatably mounted in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1918.

Patented J une 17, 1919.

serial No. 230,383.

the cylindrical portion 16 is a shaft 18 with a plurality of radial blades 19 which are provided with means such as strips of rubber or other suitable material 19a for insuring the required tightness between the edges of the blades and the inner walls of the cylindrical portion 16. The shaft 18 extends through a stullingbox in the rear wall of the hopper and mounted thereon is a pulley 20 by which rotary motion in the direction of the arrow b may be imparted to said shaft. In the left hand side wall of the cylindrical portion 16 nozzles 21 are provided which open into the atmosphere, or may be connected with a vacuum-space.

At the right handside the bottom of the casing 1 has a comparatively narrow opening which also extends through the entire width of the casing. Tightly secured on the edges of this opening there is a discharge hopper of the same construction as` the feed hopper 16, 17 just described, and

comprising in combination a cylindrical portion 23 ending in a funnelshaped por tion 24, a shaft 25 rotatable in the direction of the arrow c and provided with radial blades 26 and with a pulley 27, and nozzles 28 opening into the atmosphere or connected with a vacuumspace.

The funnel-shaped portion 24 is secured to a rectangular casing 29 having nozzles 30 by which it may be connected with the suction side of an air pump.

At its bottom the casing 29 is in communication with an inclined casing 31 containing a plurality of shafts 32 arranged the one below the other and all rotatable in the the arrangement may be so that thelower-l most shaft receives a 'second rotary motion before the uppermost shaft is revolved for the first time.

The inner walls of the casing 31 are provided with horizontal ribs 34 in such a man,-

ner that the horizontal blades 33v of the successive shafts 32 fittight against these ribs alternately at the left hand side 'and at the ri ht hand side, sufficient clearance being le t between the blade edges and the opposite walls of the casing for allowing drylng air to pass upward through the casing 31.

At its bottom the casing 31 communicates with 'the casing 35 of a worm'conveyer 36,

and itis further provided witlra plurality of nozzles 37 by which it may be connected with a hot air admission pipe.

The operation of the apparatus is-as fol- A cells are disrupted and the moisture inclosed therein is set free. When the Vegetables have reached the right hand end of the band 2 they are discharged into the cylindrical casing 23, the speed of the shaft 5 being such' that by the. time `it has reachedl theV end of the band 2, the material has been s'uiciently acted upon by the steam, to bring the ve .etables into a well done condition` he scraper 1 3 prevents the steamed material 'from adhering to the bottom part of the band. v

i and 23 is discharged through the nozzles 21 and 28 respectively, the number of blades' Owing to the rotary motion of the shafts 18 and 25 the steam entering the casings 16 19 and 26 being such that at no moment is there f ree communication-betweenthe casing 1 and the nozzles 21 and 28 respectively, -or between the casing 1 and the hoppers 17 and 24 respectively, or between the latter and the nozzles 21 and 28 respectively.

The/pondensed steam isdischarged by I'neansf f a steam trap 14 of suitable construction.

When the vegetables, the cells of which are disrupted and which bythe comp'arat tively long action of the steam under pressure are broughtl to a well-done condition,

are discharged into the hopper '24 -and .thence into the casing 29, they will, owing to the intermittent rotary motion of. the

blades 33 on the shafts 32, be carried step by step throughlthe casing 31, and during Y.theirpassage through said casing they are subjected to the action of air supplied through the nozzles 30. The ribs 34, which are arranged as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawing, form a zig-zag passage for the air which, therefore, has an lopportunity of takingA up a considerable quantity of moisture. It will be noticed that the action of the air is based on the counter-current principle, and this fact answers for the steamed mass being perfectly dry when being discharged into the casing 35 of the Worm conveyer 36, provided always that the apparatus kis properly dimensionedand that the speed of the 'various driving shafts is properly adjusted. The described apparatus may be varied 1n many respects without departing from the scope and the spirit of the present invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire v13o-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the type referred to,

inr combination a closed receptacle adapted-i" t0` stand internal pressure, aconveyer mounted in said receptacle, a number of' nozzles onf said receptacle for the admission of steam under a pressure exceedlng the atmospheric pressure, means for feeding the material to be treatedat the top side and means for discharging the treated material at the bottom side of the said recepf tacle, each of said means comprising a cylinldrical casing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and radial blades secured on said shaft and adapted to move with their edges tight over the inner walls of said casing.

2. In apparatus of the type referred to,"

in combination a closed receptacle adapted to stand internal pressure, a band conveyor mounted in said receptacle, a plurality of nozzles in the top wall of said receptacle for the 'admission of steam under a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure, baffles in said receptacle at some distance from said nozzles for preventing lthe steam jets discharged from 'blowing .directly on said conveyer, means for feedlng the material to be treated at the top side and means i for discharging the treated 'material at the bottom side of the said receptacle, each of said vmeans comprising av cylindrical casing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and

radial blades secured on said shaft and adapted to move with their edges tight over the inner walls of said casing.

3. In apparatus of thetype referred to,

in combination a closed receptacle adapted to stand internal pressure, a conveyer mounted in said receptacle, a number of .through the nozzles 37 and drawn away i nozzles on said receptacle for the admission of steam under a pressure exceeding theV atmospheric pressure, means for feeding the material to be treated at the topside .and

means for discharging the treated material at the bottom lside ofthe said receptacle,'each of said means comprising a cylindrical casing formed with an opening 1n :Lacasse its wall between theinlet and the outlet openings for the material, said first mentioned opening providing communication between said casing and a space wherein the pressure does not. exceed atmospheric pressure, a shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, and radial blades secured on said shaft and adapted to move with their edges tight over the inner walls of said casing.

et. in apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a closed receptacle adapted to stand internal pressure, a band conveyer mounted in said receptacle, a number of nozzles on said receptacle for the admission of steam under a pressure exceeding the at mospheric pressure, means for feeding the material to be treated at the top side and means for discharging the treated material at the bottom side of the said receptacle, each of said means comprising a cylindrical casing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and radial blades secured on said shaft and adapted to move with their edges tight over the inner walls of said casing, with means in communication with the discharge means and adapted to allow the treated material to fall by degrees under the iniuence of its own weight in a counter currentI of air.

5. In apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a closed receptacle adapted to stand internal pressure, a band conveyer mounted in said receptacle, a number. of nozzles on said receptacle for the admission of steam under a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure, means for feeding the material to be treated at the top side and means for discharging the treated material at the bottom side of the said receptacle, each of said means Acomprising a cylindrical casing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and radial blades secured on said shaft and adapted to move with their edges tight over the inner walls of said casing, with a casing in communicawith the discharge means and provided` with means for allowing Iair to flow upnvard through it, the last said casing containing a plurality of rotatably mounted shafts carrying radial blades and mounted the one below the other.

6. In apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a closed receptacle adapted to stand internal pressure, a band conveyer mounted in said receptacle, a nozzle on said receptacle for the admission of steam under a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure, means for feeding the material to be treated at the top side and means for discharging the treated material at the bottom side of the said receptacle, each of said means comprising a cylindrical casing7 a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and radial blades secured on said shaft and adapted to move with their edges tight over the inner walls of said casing, with a casing in communication with the discharge means and provided with means for allowing air to flow upward through itl` the last said casing containing a plurality of rotatably mounted shafts carrying radial blades and mounted the one below vthe other, said casing being provided with ribs on its inner walls forming a Zig-Zag passage for the said current of air.

In testimony' whereof I have affixed signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

DOMINIUS JOSEPHUS PENNOC. lVitnesses K. N. Boscn, PLAN'rn Firme. 

